At the End of the Road
by skye5052
Summary: LUMI: Lucas and Carrie's wedding day is just around the corner, and Sami and Austin have given up hope of winning their respective lovers back. But can Carrie and Lucas go through with their vows, knowing their hearts belong to others?
1. Chapter 1

**This is going to be a relatively short story, it could even be seen as a small collection of vignettes, I suppose. It's basically just how I would like to see the entire sickening Sami/Lucas/Carrie/Austin mess get resolved at the end of this nightmarish train ride JER is forcing us on. Don't worry, there is a happy ending coming, I promise.**

* * *

_How could I ever find it,__  
__The strength to let you go__  
__'Cause I don't have it__  
__When will I have it?__  
__- Wilson Phillips "You Won't See Me Cry"_

Lightning crackled across the dark sky.

All of Salem was illuminated with the crashing bolt of light, frozen in time.

Somewhere across town, a bride was anxiously awaiting the sunrise, which would herald in her wedding day.

Sami tried not to think about it.

Tried not to picture Carrie laying out her dress, running her hand over the soft fabric just one last time, before going to bed with a smile on her face.

Tried not to think about the fact that just across the hall, Lucas was probably laying out his tux.

Warm breath spilled across her neck, and soft lips trailed a path from her earlobe to her shoulder, and Sami closed her eyes, trying not to imagine those lips belonging to someone else. "You smell good," a husky voice whispered in her ear.

"New shampoo," Sami whispered, with just a little tremble.

"I like it," he replied, sniffing her hair. "You smell like flowers and strawberries."

Swallowing hard, Sami turned in his arms and opened her eyes, looking up at the handsome man who was holding her.

Austin Reed smiled down at her, eyes a little glossy from drinking, every bit as gorgeous and charming as she'd remembered. He'd aged some since his departure from Salem after their disastrous almost-wedding in Vegas, but he was the same man she'd daydreamed about marrying since she was fifteen. He was a good man, kind and gentle and affectionate.

Everything that a woman should want.

_But he's not-_

Desperate to stop herself from thinking of him, Sami threw her arms around Austin's neck and kissed him. His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed her back hungrily, and she poured all of her turmoil into the kiss.

If she could just kiss him long enough, then maybe she would forget.

Maybe she could make herself love him.

Cold fingers touched the warm skin of her lower back and Sami started as she realized that Austin's hands were working their way up her back beneath her sweater.

She had the most ridiculous urge to pull away, but she shook it aside.

_This is Austin,_ she reminded herself. _You used to want him, you used to love him._

She pretended not to notice the past tense.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Sami forced her thoughts aside and focused on kissing Austin, on how his strong hands were gliding up her back and tugging her sweater up over her head. The fabric created static with her hair as it was removed, and Austin gave a soft laugh against her lips, affectionately smoothing her hair.

Then his hands were on her back again, fumbling with the clasp of her bra and she tried to make herself want this...

"No," she whimpered, reaching up a hand to still his.

Austin let his hand drop and pulled back, looking down at her with hurt confusion.

"No?" he echoed softly, his dark gaze searching hers.

"No," Sami whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't. I... I'm sorry." She blinked, trying to banish her tears, but only served to cause them to slip past her eyelashes. "I'm sorry, Austin, I just... can't."

She waited for him to hate her, to get upset, but he just smiled sadly.

"I know," he told her gently, and wiped away a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I guess... me, too."

They looked at one another for a long moment, and Sami realized that he did know. He knew that her heart still belonged to Lucas, that it always would, and he understood.

He'd been wishing she was Carrie just as much as she'd been wishing he was Lucas.

Austin picked up her sweater from where it had fallen on the floor and gestured for her to lift her arms. She did, and let him tug the sweater down over her head, adjusting it properly. "God," Sami said with a tearful laugh. "I never thought this would be happening."

"Yeah," Austin agreed with a faint smile. "I'm a little taken aback myself. I mean... you chased after me for years. We almost got married. Twice! I thought this was what I wanted. I thought this was what _you_ wanted..."

"It was," Sami replied. "It's just different now. We're different."

Austin nodded his agreement, and reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I really do love you, Sami," he told her lowly. "It's just..."

"I know," Sami said, giving him a trembling smile. "I'm not Carrie."

"And I'm not Lucas," Austin concluded ruefully.

"We're really stupid, aren't we?" Sami asked with a sigh, and lowered herself onto the edge of her bed.

"Not stupid," Austin corrected with a lopsided smile. "Just not too bright."

Sami sniffled through a weak laugh, and reached up to wipe her eyes with the back of her sleeve. Austin sat down beside her, looking down at his clasped hands as if they could give him some kind of answer. They sat there in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, each trying not to think of the man across the hall and the woman he was going to marry tomorrow.

It wasn't fair, Sami decided. It wasn't fair that she'd come so close to being happy, only to have it snatched away from her as always.

And she only ever had herself to blame.

But of all people for Lucas to be moving on with, why did it have to be Carrie?

Carrie had always been the perfect one, the one every girl wanted to be and every boy wanted to date. No one had ever really noticed her kid sister, not when she was always in Carrie's shadow, no one but Lucas.

All those years of fighting, they could have been happy if she'd just been honest with him.

They'd gone from best friends to enemies, and there had been so much anger and betrayal between them, but somehow they'd managed to get past all that. They'd found one another again, and this time they'd been older and wiser, and they'd realized that there was something there.

For the first time in a long time, Sami had truly had hope for a happily ever after.

But now that was gone.

Lucas was getting married in the morning, but not to her. He and Carrie would start a new family, they'd give Will the brothers and sisters he'd always wanted. He was angry at his father right now, because he wanted them to be a family again, but he'd get over the disappointment in time.

He'd learn to love having Carrie as a stepmother.

Eventually, he'd accept things like Sami had.

Carrie had chosen Lucas, even after learning that the test results that had led her to believe any child she had with Austin would be unhealthy had been "a lab mixup".

And Lucas wanted Carrie, not Sami, he'd made that perfectly clear.

There was nothing Sami could do about any of it.

"You know," Austin said slowly, staring at his hands intently. "We could stop the wedding."

Sami pursed her lips, but said nothing.

"You could tell Lucas how you really feel, that you still love him."

"No," Sami whispered.

"C'mon, Sami," Austin cried, turning his body to face her, and she saw a wild gleam in his eyes that she recognized all too well. "You love him. And he loves you. I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. You're the one he really wants. If you just tell him, we can-"

"Austin," Sami said firmly. "We can't."

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Because... because they're happy," Sami said softly, and tried not to cry. "They are, I've seen it. And Lucas can give Carrie the baby she so desperately wants." Austin opened his mouth to protest and she shook her head. "They're getting married tomorrow, and they're going to start a new life together," she swallowed back a quiet sob. "And for once in my life I am going to do the right thing and stay out of it."

"Sami..."

"Tomorrow I am going to stand up there beside my sister in that church," Sami vowed lowly, even as a tear trickled down her cheek. "And I am going to support her, and I'm going to smile even if it kills me." She turned her head to give him a pointed look. "And you're going to do the same for Lucas."

"What if I tell Carrie how I feel?" Austin suggested.

"You won't," Sami told him with a sad smile. "Because you know how much this means to her, and her happiness means more to you than your own, Austin."

For a long moment, Austin looked like he wanted to argue, but then he deflated and his shoulder slumped. The last trace of the lighthearted Austin the alcohol had brought out earlier faded now, and he looked so miserable that Sami's heart would have ached for him if it weren't already broken.

"Love sucks," Austin muttered.

"Yeah," Sami agreed. "It kind of does."

"I, uh..." Austin rose to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I should get going then."

"It's late," Sami told him softly. "You can stay. The couch is comfortable enough."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sami said as he crossed her bedroom toward the door.

"Sami?" he said her name quietly as he paused in the open doorway. "Lucas doesn't know how stupid he was to ever let you go."

She forced a smile as he slipped out, closing the door behind him.

And then she laid down on her bed, pulling her pillow into her arms and cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**At the End of the Road**

**Part II**

_Rather than fix the problems, they never solve them  
If this is what he wants, and this is what she wants,  
then why is there so much pain?'  
-Blink 182 "Stay Together For the Kids"_

It was scary how much could change in such a short amount of time.

Just a few months ago, he'd been standing in front of the mirror and wearing this ridiculous tuxedo, and he hadn't been able to stop grinning.

The vest was a different color now.

And he hadn't smiled in over a month, not since his father broke the news.

_"Will, buddy, I have some big news... your Aunt Carrie and I, well, we're getting married. She's going to be your stepmom, isn't that great?"_

Great was not the word that came to mind.

Terrible, insane, ludicrous, impossible, a disaster waiting to happen... that was what Will thought of the whole ordeal.

But no one cared what he thought, least of all his father.

As he stared angrily at his reflection, Will tugged on the tie around his neck. He didn't understand why he had to even go this wedding, much less be in it. It wasn't like he was going to smile and pretend to be happy for his dad.

If his mother hadn't made him swear not to cause any trouble, he probably would have tripped the bride as she reached the altar.

A rather unkind smile crossed his lips as he pictured Carrie falling on her face in front of the entire church.

"Wow, buddy, look how handsome you're getting."

As his father approached him from behind dressed in a tuxedo of his own, Will scowled, stepping aside before his father could lay a hand on his shoulder. Lucas' hand fell on empty air and his father sighed, shaking his head, disappointment and frustration visibly etched on his face.

"Will-" Lucas began.

"Whatever," Will said shortly, and headed towards his room.

"Hey, don't you walk away from me," Lucas demanded, following. "I know you're mad at me, but I'm still your father!"

"Don't remind me," Will muttered, and slammed his bedroom door behind him, jamming the lock down so hard his thumb hurt. The doorknob jiggled as his father tried to open the door, and he heard Lucas curse under his breath on the other side.

"We don't have time for this, Will! We have to get going or we're going to be late!"

"I'm not going," Will snarled through the closed door.

"William Reed Roberts," his father warned. "I am not putting up with this from you, not today. Carrie is-"

"I don't give a shit about Carrie!" Will exploded, hitting the wall with his hand. "And I don't give a shit about you, either, so just leave me the hell alone, Lucas!"

There was a long silence, and he could just picture his father's shocked face.

The cursing had probably stung, but not nearly as much as having his only son revoke the title of "Dad" in favor of a first name. Will didn't care, he hoped it hurt, he hoped that his father felt the same kind of twisting pain in his chest that Will had been living with for months now.

He hoped it hurt to breathe, because then his father would know what he was feeling.

And at least a tiny bit of the hell his mother was suffering.

"We're leaving in ten minutes," his father said at last, in a low flat tone that was strangely devoid of emotion.

"I don't care!" Will shouted, hot tears of anger stinging in his eyes.

He hit the wall again for good measure, a furious sob rising up inside of his chest, and then stumbled backward across his room to sag onto the edge of his bed. His head fell into his hands as his chest tightened painfully, and he tried to stop the shaking.

"I don't care..." he whispered, and hated himself for the quiver he heard in his own voice.

But the truth was, he did care, and that was precisely the problem.

His whole life, all he had ever wanted was for his parents to get along, for them to be a real family. He'd never had the stable home life his friends had, the earliest years of his life had been filled with bitter custody fights and explosive arguments. His parents had been fighting over him for as long as he could remember, and he would lie awake at night, clutching his teddy bear, and squeeze his eyes shut to block out their yelling.

At least then they'd all been under the same roof, though.

Being passed back and forth, from one apartment to another, from parent to parent, was so much harder, but he'd gotten used to it.

He'd resigned himself to the fact that his parents were never going to be together, that it was just a stupid, childish wish that was never going to come true, and then they'd gone and fallen in love.

It wasn't fair, any of it.

Why give him false hope, why let him get a taste of what he'd always ached for, only to snatch it away?

Sometimes he wished that they'd never gotten together at all, because it would have been easier that way, none of them would be hurting then.

But then he'd remember the way his mom had smiled for days at a time, and he just wanted to get that back for her.

He just wanted them to be a family again.

For his dad to wake up and realize that Carrie was just a bad replacement for Sami.

For his mom to smile again, without tears in her eyes.

_It's all Dad's fault, _Will thought angrily, clenching his fists so that his nails dug into his palms. _I hate him._

Why couldn't his father just forgive his mother?

Yeah, she'd messed up big time, but what else was new? His father was supposed to know her better than anyone, he knew who she was going into the wedding, so why had he acted shocked and appalled when the truth came out?

His dad was supposed to be the exception to the "Sami rule", dammit!

But the truth was, his dad was just like everyone else.

He acted like he was supportive of her, said that he loved her, faults and all, but when things got hard he left, just like everyone else in her life.

Will hated him for it.

He knew his dad still loved his mom, hell the whole town knew it!

It was in his eyes every time he looked at her, beneath the pain and hardened anger. He was marrying Carrie so that he could force himself to move on. He was convincing himself that even though he and Carrie weren't head-over-heels for each other, that devotion and committment would be enough to compensate for what they didn't feel.

And he was marrying her to spite Sami.

It was working.

How could his dad not see how this was killing her? She'd become withdrawn and quiet, she didn't even argue back when Kate insulted her anymore.

She was broken, because of his dad, and Will couldn't fix her.

The only one who could didn't even care.

All his dad cared about was himself, and Ms. Perfect Carrie. He didn't care about Sami or Will, all that mattered to him was this stupid wedding. He was hellbent on marrying Carrie, the sister of the woman he really loved, and he wasn't going to let anyone stop him.

Worse still, Will knew his mother was going to let it happen.

She hadn't even fought for his dad, it was like she'd given up before the match even began.

This wasn't like her, she wasn't a quitter. Sami Brady was a fighter, she was a survivor, but she wasn't fighting this time.

She was just standing by and letting his dad go, and it wasn't right!

Will wanted to be angry with her, he wanted to scream and yell and call her a coward for not even trying to win his dad back, but he couldn't.

Every time he got angry, he'd take one look at her and his anger would shatter.

His dad could try and make believe that today was a happy day, that this was a wonderful occasion that needed to be celebrated, but Will knew better. Today was going to destroy his mom, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Rising to his feet, he crossed his bedroom in three quick strides, slamming the door behind him.

"Will-"

"I'm out of here," Will said without sparing his father a glance. "I'll ride with Mom."

Before his dad could argue, he was out the apartment door, slamming it behind him for good measure, and storming across the hall to throw open his mother's door.

"Mom?" he called.

"Will?"

It was not his mother's voice that answered, and Will froze as a familiar figure stepped out of the bathroo, fumbling with his cufflinks.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded coldly.

Austin must have heard the fury in his voice, because his uncle quickly forgot about his cufflinks. "Nothing happened between me and your mom, Will," he said without hesitation. "I promise. We're just friends."

"Friends, huh?" Will echoed flatly. "You stayed here last night."

It was a statment, not a question, and Austin didn't miss the challenge behind it.

"Yeah, I did," Austin admitted with a slow nod. "But I slept on the couch. Your mom and I just talked, that's all. Mostly about your dad. I'm just trying to be a good friend and support her right now. Today is going to be really hard on her."

Will's anger drained. "Yeah," he muttered. "I know, sorry."

"There's no need to apologize," Austin told him, smiling sadly. "Today's not an easy day for you, either."

"Or you," Will pointed out.

"Or me."

Austin turned his attention back to fixing his cufflinks, and Will frowned. "You're still in love with Aunt Carrie," he said bitterly. "How can you let her marry my dad?"

"Because it's what she wants," Austin replied, not looking up. "And it's what your dad wants."

"No, it's not!" Will cried. "I know he thinks it is, but that's just because he's mad at Mom."

"Maybe," Austin conceded. "But he chose to marry Carrie, Will. And we have to respect that choice, all of us."

"Why?" Will demanded.

"Because your mom said so," Austin said with a weak smile. "And she scares me, so I'm not going to upset her by breaking my promise."

Will sighed glumy. "She made you promise not to cause trouble, too, huh?"

"Yeah," Austin laughed ruefully.

"I kind of want to lock Aunt Carrie in the bridal room or something," Will confessed.

"I kind of want to siphon your dad's gas so he gets stranded and can't make it to the church," Austin replied in kind. "But your mom would kill us."

"Yeah."

"Where you looking for your mom?" Austin frowned. "She already left for the church."

"Great," Will muttered. "Just great."

"Not eager to ride with your dad, huh?" Austin asked knowingly, and Will just gave him a look, wondering why he even asked. "I was just about to head out the door, if you want you can ride with me."

"Thanks," Will said, and meant it.

"Anything for my favorite nephew," Austin winked at him. "C'mon, grab your coat and let's go."

Will followed him to the door, and Austin opened it just as the door across the hall swung open, and Will's father stepped out.

There was an awkward moment as they took one another in, and Will had a moment of savage pleasure when he saw a glimmer of jealous anger in his dad's eyes as he surveyed Austin leaving Sami's apartment.

"Uh, Sami's already gone to help Carrie," Austin said. "I was just on my way to the church."

"Good," Lucas said shortly. "Then Will and I won't be the only ones running late. Let's go, buddy."

"I'm riding with Uncle Austin," Will informed him, and then brushed past both adults to stalk down the hall to the elevator. He didn't look back to see his dad's reaction, he punched the down button and stepped into the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

He waited for Austin to get in, then hit the button to close the doors before his dad could reach them.

Let him ride in his own damn elevator.

Leaning back against the mirrored walls, Will closed his eyes, trembling.

He wouldn't cry.

It wasn't worth it, his dad wasn't worth it.

The tears came just the same.


	3. Chapter 3

**At the End of the Road**

**Part III**

_Standing by the mirror dressed in white_

_she tells herself it'll be all right_

_It's okay that nothing's like she planned_

_she doesn't love him but he's a good man_

_There's a blushing bride before the mirror_

_and she turns away so she doesn't see the tears_

_-Megan Bullock "Down the Aisle"_

She stared at her reflection passively, studying it.

In the mirror was a tall, slender woman, hair done up in a fancy twist with small white flowers woven into her hair.

The gown was perfect, a sleeveless bodice decorated with embroidered vines, tiny pearls accentuating the design, and a long flowing skirt that billowed out around her feet as she stood on the carpeted stool in front of the mirror.

A small, dainty silver tiara had been placed on her head, with a long white gauzy veil slinking out behind it and trailing lazily down her back all the way to the floor.

It was a dress right out of a fairy-tale.

She looked like a princess, so why didn't she feel like one?

There were knots in her stomach, she felt lightheaded as her shaky hands smoothed her dress.

It was just the jitters, or so she kept telling herself. It was no big deal, she was just feeling anxious about the wedding and nervous about remembering her vows or something. It was jitters, that's all, and it was perfectly normal for a bride on her wedding day.

She'd even had them herself a long time ago...

_Don't think about him,_ Carrie told herself firmly._ Not today._

Today was her wedding day, she was wearing a beautiful gown and her hair and makeup were perfect, and she was going to marry Lucas.

Lucas, not Austin.

And that was the way she wanted it.

_Is it, really?_ a traitorous little voice inside of her asked.

It was.

Lucas was handsome and charming and smart, he was successful and loyal, and he was such a good father. She'd seen him with Will, and she knew that she couldn't find a better man to father her children.

This was the right choice, Lucas was the right choice.

So why did she feel so empty?

"You look beautiful."

Sami had moved up alongside her, and Carrie looked at her little sister's reflection beside her own in the mirror. There was a smile on Sami's face, but it was distant and she wasn't sure that Sami was even really looking at the mirror anymore.

"Thanks," Carrie said softly. "So do you."

Her sister was dressed in a lovely navy gown that flattered her brilliant blue eyes, with her golden locks pinned up so that her curls rested elegantly on the crown of her head.

It was strange, to see Sami all grown up.

They hadn't been kids in a long time, obviously, but Carrie had always carried around this little mental image of Sami as a teenager.

Of a pretty girl who didn't feel comfortable in her own skin yet, who felt overlooked and awkward compared to some of her classmates, and out of place next to her siblings. Sami had struggled with body image issues during her teen years, never feeling good enough or pretty enough, and she'd never believed Carrie when she'd told her that she just hadn't fully blossomed yet.

And here she was, all grown up, every bit as beautiful as Carrie had always known she would be.

"I'm, uh, I'm really glad you're here," she told her little sister.

Sami looked up at her with a frown. "Where else would I be? I'm the maid of honor."

"I meant here," Carrie explained, gesturing between them. "With me. I guess I never really thought that we'd get to this point, where we'd be able to be sisters again. Not after all the bad blood and everything that..."

"Everything that I did," Sami finished for her.

"I wasn't exactly blameless," Carrie pointed out. "It's my fault, too."

"Maybe a little," Sami conceded, looking down. "But mostly mine. I've screwed up a lot, Carrie, and screwed up a lot of other people's lives. I can't take that back, all I can do is say I'm sorry."

"I know," Carrie assured her. "I'm sorry, too."

Sami gave her a ghost of a smile, and then busied herself by looking Carrie's dress over once more to make sure that everything was perfect.

Looking back into the mirror again, Carrie watched her sister's reflection.

She really hadn't thought that the two of them would ever be able to make peace. Oh, they'd buried the hatchet before she left town with Mike, of course, but there had still been some lingering bitterness between them. Sami hadn't invited her back for any of her failed weddings, after all, and Carrie had not bothered to call or write, just mailed a card twice a year at Christmas and on her sister's birthday.

It had been hard to let go of all the things Sami had done to her, and to forget what her sister's schemes had cost her.

But she'd been happy with Mike, for a few years, and she'd almost managed to forget about Austin Reed. She'd even been able to send a flower arrangement with her congratulations when her father told her that Austin and Sami had gotten engaged.

After all, she had a life halfway around the world with Mike, and she was happy.

In her heart, though, it had always been Austin.

When things fell apart with Mike, she hadn't been able to bring herself to return to Salem. It would have been too hard, to go home alone and see Austin with Sami.

By the time she learned that the wedding hadn't happened, she'd already been settled in Los Angeles. What was the point in going to Salem? Austin had left, presumably for New York, and Salem didn't hold the opportunities that L.A. did.

The news coming out of Salem had kept her away, serial killings and death in the family, all the hard things she wasn't strong enough to face yet.

But, inevitably, she'd found herself coming back, returning to the place where it all began.

And she'd found that Salem wasn't the place she remembered.

Relationships had changed, _people_ had changed, and it seemed their lives had all gone on fine without her.

She hadn't expected Austin to be in Salem, she hadn't been prepared to handle seeing him again, after all that time and everything that had happened between them. They'd been so in love once, so blissfully happy, but she'd thrown that all away for a fleeting passion with Mike.

The years apart had not fully erase that from Austin's memory, but he'd been happy to see her just the same.

And Carrie had been happy to see him, too, at least until she learned he was the one responsible for the takeover of Highstyle.

To be fair, he hadn't known it was her company until it was over and done with.

Still, it had taken Carrie some time to get over her anger, but in the end she couldn't hold it against him. He really hadn't known, and it was hard to stay mad at someone you loved.

Although, Lucas and Sami certainly were good at it.

It had been a stunning bit of news, learning that Sami and Lucas, of all people, had nearly gotten married, but somehow it fit.

After all those years of fighting, it was either fall in love or kill each other.

But that love hadn't lasted.

As always, Sami had gotten in too deep in some mischief, and it had destroyed her relationship with Lucas. He'd left her at the altar when Kate exposed her, and Carrie couldn't help feeling sorry for her sister.

The altar just never worked out for Sami.

_But usually she bounces back,_ Carrie sighed, watching her sister.

This time, Sami had just let go.

Carrie didn't understand why Sami would let go with Lucas, when she'd fought so hard to get Austin and Brandon back. Did it mean that she didn't love Lucas as much as she had them?

Or did she love Lucas so completely that she was letting go for him?

"Quit fidgeting," Sami scolded her, and Carrie blinked, startled to realize that she'd been twisting her hands.

"Sorry," Carrie whispered.

"It's okay," Sami said, flashing her a weak smile. "I know how wedding nerves are."

"Yeah," Carrie agreed softly. "It must be nerves."

"Well, you don't have anything to be nervous about," Sami informed her, intently studying one of the pins in her hand. "You're going to do fine. Lucas is a great guy, he really is. He'll be a good husband."

Her voice was flat, emotionless, but Carrie didn't miss the slight quiver.

"Sami?" she said gently, trying to catch her sister's eye, but Sami wouldn't look at her. "Sami, are you sure that-"

"I better go help Will with his tie," Sami cut her off quietly. "He's probably about two seconds away from ripping the things to pieces."

"Sami," Carrie tried again, but Sami was already slipping out of the bridal room.

The door swung closed behind her, leaving Carrie alone in the empty room, with no one but her reflection for company.

Sighing, Carrie turned back to the mirror, staring at it as if it could give her some kind of answer to all of the questions churning inside of her, but all she found was herself gazing back helplessly.

None of this was how she'd imagined it would be.

Her maid of honor was only half there, and the fake smile she kept plastering on her face wasn't fooling anyone.

Will, the nephew she'd always doted on, hated her.

So much so that he'd refused to be Lucas' best man, or to be in the wedding party at all.

Even her groom-to-be wasn't as happy as he should have been, on the day of his wedding. Lucas tried to hide it, but his smiles didn't quite reach his eyes and his laugh sounded hollow even to her own ears.

And here she was, about to walk down the aisle, and she wanted to cry.

It wasn't that she didn't love Lucas, she did, but not the way she knew she was supposed to when they were only minutes away from getting married.

She'd tried to be in love with him, she'd tried so hard and she just couldn't.

Because her heart still belonged to Austin Reed, it always had and it always would.

But she wasn't marrying Austin.

Lucas had proposed to her and she'd said yes, because he was everything that she needed. He was steady and devoted, with Lucas she knew she would never be hurt like she had been with Austin, like he had been with Sami.

She'd said yes, even though she knew in heart that Austin and Sami had only hurt them because the love there was so intense, because it was real.

There would never be hurt like that between her and Lucas, but there would never be love like that, either.

In a way, it felt like an arranged marriage, more like a business deal than a wedding.

Lucas didn't love her, she knew that, but he wouldn't take Sami back after all that had happened, and Carrie couldn't leave him to be all alone.

He'd suffered so much already, she couldn't add more hurt to his heart.

So she would marry him, and she would be a devoted and faithful wife, even while her heart betrayed them both by loving Austin. And Lucas, in turn, would take care of her and shower her with affection, all the while pretending that both of them didn't know that in his dreams she was somebody else.

Reaching for a tissue, Carrie dabbed at her eyes, trying to keep her mascara from running.

She was going to walk down that aisle and smile, for Lucas, and try not to look at Austin as he stood with Phillip beside Lucas.

They just had to get through the ceremony, and then she'd take it one day at a time.


	4. Chapter 4

**At the End of the Road**

**Part IV**

_I have to remind myself each and every day_

_of all the things you did that drove me away_

_I have to tell myself I don't care that you're crying_

_that when I see you it doesn't feel like I'm dying_

_I have to keep on saying I don't love you_

_And then maybe someday it will be true_

_-Zero Hour "I Don't Love You"_

Pacing before the altar, he glanced down at his watch.

Just a little bit longer now.

The pews were already starting to fill up as guests began to straggle in, mingling with the familiar faces of family and friends that had turned out to witness the wedding.

On one side of the church, the Brady family took up almost the entire space.

And on the other, Lucas found his own mismatched family members, as the Hortons filed in and his mother, ever the debunaire hostess, smiled and greeted each person to walk through the church doors.

There was a beaming smile on Kate's face today, and Lucas knew why.

His mother was celebrating. Not only was her son getting married to a woman who wasn't Sami Brady, his ex-fiance had to watch it happen.

Kate had been gloating about it ever since the engagement became public.

Not that Lucas cared, of course.

Let his mother rub his happiness in Sami's face all she wanted, it served her right after everything.

He had moved on, and if she was miserable that was her own fault.

After all, he'd been ready to give Sami everything once upon a time, to spend the rest of his life with her, and she'd been the one to throw it all away, not him.

_Besides, _Lucas thought bitterly. _I'm sure Sir Austin is doing his best to comfort her._

It had taken him by surprise to find his brother coming out Sami's apartment that morning, but he supposed it shouldn't have. Sami had been after Austin ever since he came back into town, despite the fact that she was supposedly still pining for Lucas, and the two had been joined at the hip ever since Carrie announced that she was choosing Lucas.

But Austin had never spent the night at Sami's before now, Lucas knew that for certain.

He still kept a close eye on the apartment across from his.

Old habits died hard.

Until now, Sami and Austin, while clearly infatuated with each other, had still been just friends, they'd denied anything romantic going on between them and Lucas hadn't noticed anything.

Not until Austin walked out of Sami's apartment the morning of his wedding, anyway.

_Why today?_ Lucas thought irritably. _Why on my wedding day?_

It was probably all some stupid plan of Sami's, to make him jealous.

He didn't want her anymore and she couldn't stand it, so she was trying to give him doubts about marrying Carrie by flaunting Austin in his face.

Well, it wasn't working, not in the least.

Sami could play all the little games she wanted, but very shortly Lucas was going to stand at the front of the church, listen to the pianist play that familiar tune, and watch Carrie walk down the aisle to his side.

Nothing Sami did was going to change that.

"You look nervous."

Fighting back a grimace, Lucas turned to give his half-brother a forced smile. "Not really," he said smoothly, and smothered out a childish urge to kick Austin in the shin. "Carrie and I are about to start a new life together, I can't wait." He couldn't resist rubbing it in a little and added, "In a few minutes, she'll be my wife, and we'll be together for the rest of our lives."

To his credit, Austin only swallowed hard. "Yeah."

"I was just trying to find Will," Lucas told him. "Do you have any idea where he ran off to? I saw him for about two seconds when I got here, and then he disappeared on me."

"He's probably with Sami," Austin replied with a shrug.

Lucas gritted his teeth. "Thanks."

Without waiting for Austin to reply, he turned and headed out of the congregation area and into the vestibule.

"Congratulations, Lucas," Maggie said, approaching to give him a warm hug. "I'm so happy for you and Carrie. It's going to be a lovely ceremony."

"Thanks, Aunt Maggie," Lucas replied with a smile. "Have you seen Will?"

"No, dear, I'm afraid I haven't," Maggie sighed.

"Lose your son, Lucas?" Julie inquired coyly, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she came up to join Maggie.

"He's around here somewhere," Lucas answered flatly.

"I'd check the bathrooms, then," Julie advised. "Boys his age tend to hide out in there when they don't want people to see how upset they are. You know how it goes."

"He's probably just talking to his mother," Lucas said stiffly. "Excuse me, I really need to find him before the wedding starts."

"Good luck," Julie called after him as he slipped past.

Lucas didn't think for a moment she was being sincere, Julie had made her opinion on his pending nuptuals crystal clear over the past few months, at every single opportunity.

_Nice how my own family likes Sami better than me, _Lucas grumbled.

He was about out of patience with Julie, always telling him that he was only marrying Carrie because he was mad at Sami, always warning him that this was going to be the biggest mistake of his life and that he'd never stop regretting it. It wasn't any of her business who he married, and she was clearly getting senile in her old age if she thought that he cared whatsoever about Sami Brady.

She was his son's mother, and nothing more.

Once he'd been foolish enough to believe she could have been more, than she was the one, but, well, all of Salem knew how that had turned out.

No, his mother had been right all along- Sami Brady was posion.

And as soon as he rounded the corner toward the bridal chamber, he almost plowed into her.

"Oh," Sami cried, and took a step back. "It's you."

"Trying to run me down, Sami?" Lucas asked with a smirk. "I think you forgot the car."

"Right, the car," Sami murmured, refusing to lift her eyes. "Sorry. I'll try to watch where I'm going from now on."

Lucas frowned, eyeing her suspiciously. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Sami replied shortly, and lifted her head to flash him a brilliant smile that was so obviously fake it was sad. "I just finished helping Carrie get ready. She looks beautiful."

"Yeah," Lucas said softly. "I bet she does."

_And so do you,_ he thought, before he could stop himself.

It was true, though, even as he mentally cursed his brain for noticing. The navy bridesmaid dresses that Carrie picked out made Sami's blue eyes look like two sparkling sapphires. Why on earth did Carrie have to pick blue, didn't she realize the color made Sami look like a goddess?

Why couldn't Carrie have gone with neon orange or lime green?

_She'd probably still manage to look good even then,_ his thoughts betrayed him yet again.

All of the sudden Lucas realized that Sami's lips were moving and he blinked, jerking out of his reverie. "What?"

Sami gave him a slightly annoyed look. "I said you're going to love her dress."

"Oh, the dress, right," Lucas said. "I tried to peek at it, but Carrie insisted it should be a surprise, more romantic and all."

When Carrie first banned him from seeing the gown, he'd been tempted to sneak around and take a look at it, but Carrie had entrusted the dress to Marlena until the wedding and there was no way Marlena would have let him see it, so Lucas had been reduced to imagining what Carrie would look like when she walked down the aisle.

He'd given up on that, though.

Every time he tried to picture it, Carrie was wearing the dress Sami had so carefully picked out for their failed wedding.

And that day was not one that Lucas liked to remember.

He didn't like to remember how angry he'd been when his mother exposed Sami as Stan, how disappointed he'd been in her, and in himself for ever thinking she would change.

Or how broken she'd been as she stumbled out of the church.

Most of all, he hated remembering her walking down the aisle toward him, smiling and radiant, and the way that the sight of her had sent his heart into his throat... how he'd been simaltaneously rejoicing and humbled that it was finally him she was walking to, awed that he'd been so blessed.

For a moment, his world had been perfect, they had been perfect, and he'd thought that it would never end.

But he'd been wrong, there was no happily ever after for them.

And there never would be.

His best chance at happiness, maybe his only chance, was with Carrie now.

"Well," Sami said with a weak smile. "I'm sure it will have been worth the wait. I've got to go make sure that Mimi's finished with her makeup, Carrie's almost ready."

She started to walk away, when suddenly Lucas remembered why he'd come looking for her in the first place. "Will," he cried, and Sami stopped in her tracks, turning to look back at him with raised eyebrows. "I, uh, I can't find Will. Have you seen him?"

"He came with you, not me," she said.

"Actually," Lucas muttered. "He came with Austin."

"Oh."

Sami actually had the decency to look uncomfortable. She bit her lower lip, chewing at it the way she did when she was nervous- it was an old habit, one she'd had even as a teenager.

He'd always thought it to be kind of cute.

"I take it Will knows he stayed at my place last night then?" she asked slowly.

"Most likely," Lucas replied coldly, and prepared to lambast her for her carelessness- their son was at an impressionable age, and Will wasn't happy with them to begin with right now. Seeing Austin in Sami's apartment like that, especially considering how angry he'd been when he stormed out of Lucas' living room, must have enraged Will.

"Great," Sami sighed. "Well hopefully Austin set him straight on the ride over, so he knows that nothing happened."

Those last two words reverberated around inside of Lucas' skull.

_Nothing happened..._

A fierce stab of joy shot through him and he felt a moment of savage relief that he couldn't stop.

Sami hadn't slept with Austin.

Austin's slimy hands hadn't been on her, touching her skin in places only he was supposed to be able to...

_Carrie,_ Lucas shouted at himself silenltly. _Think about Carrie._

"Yeah, right," he scoffed aloud, rolling his eyes. "What happened? Austin reject you? That's, what, the thousandth time?"

Instead of getting angry, as he'd expected, Sami merely shook her head. "My private life is none of your business, Lucas."

"It is if it screws up my son's head," Lucas snapped.

"I think you've done that already," Sami replied flatly, and there was just a hint of her regular fire in her eyes, but it passed quickly. "I'm sure Will knows nothing happened with Austin, or he wouldn't have ridden here with him, now would he? As mad as he is at you right now, I still doubt he'd choose to ride with Austin if he didn't know the truth."

She had a point.

There was no way Will would have gotten into a car with Austin if he thought that his uncle had slept with his mom.

At least, not without a baseball bat in hand.

"I'll find Will and straighten him out," Sami said quietly. "His behavior lately has been unacceptable. No matter what, you're still his father and he needs to show you some respect."

Surprised, and a little unnerved by the uncharacteristic maturity, Lucas could only stare after her as she walked away.

In truth, he'd been more worried about Sami making trouble than Will.

With her history, he'd been anticipating some sort of dramatic stunt to try and stall the wedding, like the bride being found tied to a chair in the bridal chamber, but clearly that wasn't going to happen this time.

Sami really wasn't going to try and stop him from marrying Carrie.

_Well... good, _Lucas thought in a daze.

That was a good thing, right?

So why did he feel such a strange and inexplicable sting of disappointment in his chest?

"Sami? Are you... oh!"

Lucas turned to find Carrie had stuck her head out of the bridal room, and she quickly ducked back into the room and out of view the moment she spotted him.

"You're not supposed to see me," she cried from the other side of the door. "It's bad luck!"

"I didn't see you," Lucas lied.

"I thought I heard Sami," Carrie explained softly.

"She just went to find Will," Lucas replied, shifting awkwardly. "Uh, how are you doing?"

"Oh, me?" Carrie laughed, but she must have been adjusting her dress or something because he heard a catch in her voice. "I'm fine."

"Good," Lucas said thickly. "That's good. Me, too."

There was a long moment of silence, and then Carrie's voice said weakly, "Lucas? I think you're supposed to be up on the altar."

"Right," Lucas agreed quickly, running a hand through his hair. "Right. Okay, I'm going now. I'll, uh, I'll see you out there."

"Yeah."

Swallowing, he turned and started back toward the congregation area.

Sami was inside, off the one side of the room and talking to Will, whose scowl attested to the fact that he wasn't happy to have been found. His son shot him a glare as he passed, and Lucas sighed.

With heavy feet and an equally heavy heart, he trudged up the altar steps.

The sooner they got this over with, the better.


	5. Chapter 5

_**At the End of the Road**_

_**Part V**_

_Although we've come to the end of the road__  
__Still I can't let you go__  
__It's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you__  
__Come to the end of the road__  
__Still I can't let you go__  
__It's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you_

_ -Boyz II Men "End of the Road"_

She was breathtaking.

It was all he could do to hold himself together as she floated toward him.

The long white dress flowed out behind her like an angelic shadow and the small tiara on her head sparkled like diamonds.

Never in all his life had he ever seen anything so beautiful.

And it was killing him.

Tearing his gaze away from Carrie as she made her way up the aisle, Austin looked over at Sami as she took her place across from him on the dais of the altar and flashed her a weak smile.

She smiled back, but he didn't miss the tears in her eyes.

And then Carrie was there in front of them, and Roman was handing her arm to Lucas, and Sami closed her eyes, visibly trying to compose herself.

How she ever found the strength to smile as Carrie handed her the bouquet, Austin didn't know.

She was a stronger person than he was.

Lucas and Carrie turned to face the priest together, and Austin looked away, not wanting to catch Carrie's eye by accident lest she see how fragile his composure was.

To his right, Phillip shifted slightly, effectively shielding Austin from her view, and Austin let out a small sigh of relief.

It had been wise of Lucas to make Phillip the best man.

Austin knew that Phillip didn't agree with Lucas' decision to marry Carrie, but Phillip was a good brother and kept his mouth shut. He'd only ever tried to reason with Lucas once or twice, right after the engagement came out, and then he'd let it go.

But Phillip knew neither of his brothers was truly happy with today, and he was doing his best to support them both at the same time.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began, smiling out at the crowd of guests. "We are gathered here today to join Lucas and Carrie in holy matrimony..."

Swallowing back the lump that had risen in his throat, Austin steeled himself for what was about to happen.

This was it, there was no going back.

In a few minutes, Carrie would belong to another man.

To Lucas, of all people.

And Austin would have to quietly fade into the background, watching her start a new life with someone else. Sami had been right the night before, when she said that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to ruin Carrie's happiness- if this was what Carrie wanted, he would suffer in silence.

As the priest droned on, Austin couldn't look at Carrie or Lucas.

Instead, he looked everywhere but in their direction.

Phillip, he observed, wasn't looking at the happy couple, either, but rather at Sami.

And he wasn't the only one, Austin realized.

Everyone in attendance was watching Sami instead of Lucas and Carrie, holding their breath.

All of Salem expected her to object when the priest asked if any present knew a reason why Lucas and Carrie should not be joined, and Austin could have sworn he saw Carrie look at Sami out of the corner of her eye, as well.

It was probably just wishful thinking on his part, though.

Sami just smiled thinly, gazing at the priest as he continued his part, pretending not to notice the way everyone was staring.

A few murmurs went through the crowd, but the ceremony kept on.

And finally it came to the moment Austin was dreading.

"Do you, Lucas," the priest finally turned to his brother. "Take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, rich or for poor, as long as you both shall live?"

"I..." Lucas actually hesitated.

From where he was standing, Austin could see Lucas' adam's apple swell as he swallowed, and Lucas licked his lips, seeming to stumble over the simple two words that Austin would have said in a heartbeat.

"Lucas?" the priest urged.

Austin glanced at Sami, who was frowning at Lucas, and then back to his brother.

What was going on?

Was this what it looked like?

He didn't dare hope, terrified that he was wrong.

"I... I, uh..." Lucas stammered.

"He doesn't."

Nearly every head in the church snapped around to stare at Carrie in disbelief, and Austin felt his heart stop as he took in the sheepish smile on her face.

"And neither do I," she announced.

Sami dropped the bouquet Carrie had handed her.

Gasps went up throughout the crowd, and Austin thought he heard his mother wail.

"Carrie," Lucas said, looking at her in confusion, his dark eyes searching her gaze for an answer Austin wasn't certain even Lucas knew how to find. "What are you doing?"

"Lucas, we can't get married," Carrie told him, rueful smile still in place.

"Why not?"

"Because," Carrie said with an ironic laugh, not without a hint of sadness. "I'm still in love with your brother-"

"Oh my God!" someone gasped in the crowd.

Austin couldn't help the dumb grin that lit up his face, and he was in such a daze that he barely made out the rest of what Carrie was saying.

"-and you're still in love with my sister."

This time, Austin was positive he heard a shriek from his mother.

Kate was groaning, her head in her hands in the front row of the pews, shaking her head from side to side as if she could make this all go away simply by blocking it all out.

"You're wrong," Lucas was arguing, shaking his head. "I don't want Sami- I can't trust her. I want you, Carrie. I want to marry you."

"No, you don't," Carrie replied gently, and gave him a weak smile. "Listen to your heart instead of your head for once, Lucas. Stop worrying about what other people want and other people expect, and just do what your heart tells you to do. Don't let your pride cost you the love of your life, because Sami won't always be waiting for you."

Before Lucas could object, Carrie turned away from him and picked up the bouquet that Sami had dropped.

"I think this belongs to you," Carrie told her softly. "Among other things."

Sami was staring at her sister in disbelief, but Carrie was already crossing the dais and suddenly Austin found her directly in front of him, a shy smile on her face.

"Hi," she said nervously.

Austin swallowed, giving her a shaky smile. "Hi yourself. What are you doing?"

"Making things right," Carrie whispered, and leaned forward to press a soft kiss against his lips. "In my heart, there wasn't never a choice, Austin. It's always been you."

Unable to formulate the words, Austin took her hand in his and laced their fingers together.

Carrie smiled, and then looked back at her ex-groom, who was facing the altar with an unreadable expression on his face as his eyes bore holes into the back wall of the church. For a long moment Lucas didn't move, didn't blink, didn't so much as breathe.

_C'mon, Lucas, _Austin found himself mentally willing his brother not to be an idiot._ Don't be a coward now._

Carrie had already done the hard part for him, now all Lucas had to do was...

Slowly, Lucas turned to Sami, who had not moved so much as a muscle since Carrie handed her the bouquet, and Austin saw the vulnerability in her eyes, the gaping wound that was exposed between her and Lucas, and all the innocent hope of a schoolgirl waiting to hear if the boy she liked had a crush on her, too.

"Sami," Lucas rasped at last. "I..." he trailed off helplessly.

He wasn't going to get any help from Sami on this, that much was clear. She remained silent and just looked at him patiently, listening.

"Kiss her already, Roberts!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Austin glanced up in time to see Bo Brady tug his son back into his seat irritably, and he couldn't help grinning.

"Shawn's right," he told his brother. "Kiss her already."

For once, Lucas had the common sense to listen to good advice, and Austin put his arm around Carrie, squeezing her close to him, as Lucas and Sami got lost in a tender, blissful kiss that was long overdue.

"Lucas, you stop that this instant!" Kate shouted, stomping toward the front of the church. "I will not- oh!"

Tragically, Abby Deveraux's foot was innocently in her way, and Austin watched as his mother went toppling to the ground, arms and legs flailing. Jennifer Deveraux tried not to laugh as she scolded her daughter, but young Abby just rolled her eyes and gave her cousin Will the thumbs up.

"Sami," Lucas croaked, and Austin caught a glimmer of tears in his eyes. "I... can you ever forgive me for...?"

Wordlessly, Sami placed a finger to his lips and smiled, with tears of her own already streaming down her face. "Someone once told me," she said in a shaky voice. "That love means never having to say you're sorry."

Lucas opened his mouth to reply, but seemed too overcome for words.

And so Sami kissed him.

In the front pew, Will looked as if he was about to cry.

But unlike the past few days, the tears welling in his eyes were tears of joy, and delirious relief, and Austin could practically see his nephew's heart soaring.

"Excuse me for interrupting," the priest said, and Sami and Lucas broke apart sheepishly as the priest gave them all a mildly exasperated look. "But is anyone actually going to be married here today?"

In an instant, Will was on his feet.

"They are," he all but shouted, stabbing a finger in his parents' direction.

Both Sami and Lucas started, looking at one another with symmetrical expressions of hesitation and confusion.

"Dad did pay for this big wedding," Carrie pointed out to Sami. "One of us really should get married."

Sami opened her mouth, faltering, and looked at Lucas.

"Over my dead body," Kate snarled, climbing back to her feet in outrage. "There is no way I am going to let that cheap little bitch dig her claws back into my son ever-"

"Grandma," Will said, turning on her. "Shut up."

And with that he stuffed the handkerchief from his tuxedo pocket into her mouth.

Before anyone could so much as blink, or even really comprehend what was happening in front of their eyes, Will had his grandmother restrained and both Abby Deveraux and Chelsea Benson- who Austin hadn't even realized was here with Billie- were assisting him.

It happened so fast, and without warning, that Austin couldn't help wondering if his nephew hadn't planned the whole thing with his cousins ahead of time.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Better hurry up, Father," Phillip told the priest lightly, as if this was all perfectly normal and happened all the time- which, it kind of did, Austin realized, this was Salem, after all. "She'll chew through the gag soon enough."

"I, er, yes," the priest cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I suppose there's no need to start over, I can pick up where I left off..."

The priest suddenly looked to Lucas and Sami with wide eyes.

"You do want to get married, right?"

"Yes," Lucas said before Sami had a chance to open her mouth. "We want to get married."

"You do realize you'll need to get a marriage license so-"

"I believe that's been taken care of," Julie Williams spoke up, and in her hand was a manilla envelope that seemingly appeared out of thin air. The older woman smiled slyly at Lucas and Sami. "One should always be prepared, just in case. Oh, and Chelsea, dear, watch your toes, I do believe Kate is trying to smash them."

Sure enough, Kate was struggling wildly to get free from the three teenagers, and her foot was poised to crush Chelsea's toes.

"Here," Bo Brady sighed, and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his blazer pocket. "I was afraid we might need these. Of course," he added as he slapped one end onto Kate's wrist and the other to his own. "I thought it would be Sami I ended up chained to- no offense, sweetheart."

"None taken," Sami told her uncle, dazed.

"Very well, erm, let's see," the priest, clearly flustered, cleared his throat. "Do you, Lucas-"

"I do," Lucas said before he finished.

Sami smiled, and the look of complete adoration on her face as she beamed up at Lucas was almost as nauseating as the lovestruck expression on Lucas' face.

"Do you, Sami-"

"I do," Sami cut the priest off breathlessly.

"Yes, um," the priest tugged at his collar. "Well then, I... I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may..." he trailed off as Lucas and Sami fell into one another's arms, lips meeting in a fiery kiss that made the priest blush. "Yes. That."

Will and the girls let go of Kate, whose screams were muffled by the handkerchief in her mouth.

Austin laughed as his nephew ran past him up the dais past him and flung himself at his parents, who broke apart in order to allow Will to wrap his arms around them.

"This is how it was meant to be," Carrie whispered contentedly.

"Yeah," Austin agreed, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her hair. "Everything's just about perfect now."

"What about us?" Carrie asked him, eyes wide as she looked up at him. "What happens now?"

"We'll take things slow," Austin replied with a smile. "But let's worry about that tomorrow. Right now, we've got a reception to go to. I think I need to rewrite my toast, the old one might seem a bit out of place now."

Carrie laughed, and rested her head against his shoulder, a smile on her face as she watched her sister and Lucas with their son.

She was right, this was how it was all meant to be.

_"At the end of the road one finds that there is no end, there are only new roads and new beginnings, new journies just waiting to begin..." -Elizabeth Astor "The Road to Finding Abbington"_


End file.
